Railway draft-rigging.



W. H. MINER.

RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12, 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET1 rlllllllllL WWW W H MINER RAIlWAY DRAFT meeme.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I2, 1914 Patented May 4, 1915.

SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. Wll/lam H Mme/f WITNESS W. H. MINER.

RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING.

APFLICATlON FILED JAN. 12. 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- INVENTOR.

Will/am Miner A TTORNE YS.

. To all zuhom it may concern WILIIAM HaMIN'ER; oF oHIQAGo, ILLINOIS. Runway DRAFT-RIGGING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May a, 1915.

Application filed January 12, 1914. Serial No. 811,604.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MINER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illiacting member is at all times maintained perpendicular to the center line of the draft gearwhen it is moved forwardly under pull whether the cars to which the draft riggings are attached are on straight or curved tracks.

gear,

More specifically the object of my invention is to provide means whereby the forces transmitted from the yoke to the rear follower or follower-acting member of the draft are applied perpendicularly to the rear follower or parallel to the center line of the draft gear in evegy position of the yoke. I I u The invention rthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the" novel combinations of the parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

curves the yokes of tached is rounding a curve.

As is well known, when cars are rounding the draft riggings are displaced bodily and angularly from the center line of the draft gear, with the result that the pressure from the yokes to the followers is applied to the latter to one side and this hasa'tendency to tilt the followers or follower-acting members and thereby lessen the eflicie'ncy of the gears.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure l'is a planview of a draft rigging showing my improvements in connection therewith, the draw-bar and yoke being shown in their normal or central position parallel with the center line of the gear. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the shock absorbing mechanism being omitted and showing the draw-bar and yoke arranged at an angle to the center line of the gear as occurs-.when the car to which the rigging is at- Fig. 3 is a-perspective view of the front follower used with my improvements, and Figs. 4 and 5 are broken sectional perspective views of the rear end of the yoke and filler employed therewith. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another, form of my improvements. Fig. 7 is a view similar toFig. 2 and 'ence A and the same may be which illustrating a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 6, and Figs. 8 and 9 are detail sectional perspective ,views of the rear end of the oke and follower shown in Figs. 6 and Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 10, 10 denote the center or draft sills having rear stop plates 11 and front stop plates 12 secured thereto. The shock absorbing mechanism is designated generally of any well own construction and does not form any part of my invention' As shown, the shock absorbing mechanism includes a rectangular spring case 13, the rear wall of which acts as a follower in the usual manner. The front follower 14 is shown as provided with a curved front bearing surface 15 against which bears the inner end of the draw-bar 16 and the rear walls of the hood 17 to which the draw-bar is connected by a coupler key 18. The hood 17 hasriveted thereto the arms of a yoke 19, the connection of the yoke, coupler and hood being similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1 of the patentv to Johnson 1,038,758. The rear curved end 20 ofthe yoke has seated therein a two-piece filler designated generally by the reference B, said filler comprising a rear member 21 having a convex vertically arranged rib 22, and another member 23 having a .concave bearing surface 24 cooperable with the convex rib 22 to form a pivotal or rocking bearlng therebetween, it being understood that the curvatures of the convex and concave surfaces are designed so as to provide clearance between the two members to permit the rocking action. The two-piecefiller is secured in place by an elongated rivet 25 passes through suitable holes in the two members 21 and 23 and has a rounded head 26 seated in an enlarged opening 29 in the member 23 so that the latter is adapted for free rocking movement.

From the preceding description it will be seen that the member 23 of the filler always has a fiat bearing on the rear follower or follower-acting member regardless of the positlon of the yoke and draw-bar and hence the pressure transmitted from the yoke to the rear follower will always be applied by the referhaving its center coinciding substantially with the axis of pivotal movement of the member 23 of the filler so that the rear edges of the hood 17 will always be arranged tangentially to the surface 15 when the yoke and draw-bar are displaced angularly.

In the structure shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, the center sills, shock absorbing mechanism, front follower, yoke, hood, and draw-bar are similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to 3. A different form of filler is shown which comprises a rear member 121 having an under-cut, vertically extending, reversely curved groove 124 in which is seated a cooperating, correspondingly curved rib 125 formed on the other member 126 of the twopiece filler. As will be understood, the groove and rib 124: and 125 are so designed that the member 126 is free to rock on the member 121. To secure the two-piece filler in place, the two members 121 and 126 are first assembled and a headed rivet 127 inserted through an enlarged hole 128 in the member 126 and a hole 129 in the member 121, the rivet then being upset at its rear end as shown at 130.

The operation of the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, is similar to that previously described for the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

I'Vhere I use the term follower in the description and claims, it will be understood that I mean any member which has the function of a follower, and byuse of the term yoke I wish it to be understood that I mean any member which is attached to the draw-bar and sorbing mechanism under pull.

Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my improvements, yet it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all serves to actuate the shock ab-.

such changes and modifications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway draft'rigging having a rear follower provided with a flat rear surface, the combination with a yoke, of a rockable filler interposed between said follower and the rear end'of the yoke, said rockable filler having a flat inner surface arranged to engage and slide on the rear flat side of said follower, substantially as specified.-

2. As an article of manufacture, a yoke having a two-piece filler secured thereto at its rear end, one member of the filler being fixed with respect to the yoke and the other member thereof rockably connected thereto, the last named member having an extended fiat bearing surface on the forward side thereof adapted to engage and slide upon the rear follower, substantially as specified.

3. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a draw-bar, a yoke connected to the draw-bar and shock absorbing mechanism, of a front follower having a curved outer bearing surface, a rear follower, and means intermediate the yoke and the rear follower automatically adapted to transmit the forces from the yoke in any position thereof to the rear follower in a line parallel with the center line of the gear, said means including a two-piece filler, one member of which has an extended fiat surface bearing against the rear follower and slidable thereon and the other member of which is fixed with respect to the yoke, saidmembers having a rockable bearing therebetween, substantially as specified.

Signed this 9th day of January, 1914, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. MINER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. GEIGER, J osnrrr HARRIS. 

